Dealing with Distractions

A reader asks for advice on how to deal with distractions. If you, too, have difficulty putting aside distractions, here are a few subjects to investigate for the source of the problem, along with some possible solutions.

First, let’s look at what goal you get distracted from accomplishing. What is the purpose or goal of that “to-do”? Is it a compelling goal? Is it your goal, or really someone else’s? For a mundane, but common example, let’s say your to-do is to get your messy desk organized. If your purpose for cleaning up your desk is so other people won’t think you are a slob, then that’s just a should, and not very compelling. It really is someone else’s goal, not yours. No wonder you are easily distracted from it! If, on the other hand, your purpose is (i) to get a burst of energy from releasing all those little worry strings tied to every piece of potentially important paper lost on your desk, (ii) to be able to respond promptly, decisively and effectively to challenges that come your way today (leaping tall buildings in a single bound) because you know how to quickly put your hands on every piece of information available to you, or (iii) to avoid repeating the embarrassment you suffered yesterday when a client called and you couldn’t find her file well, those goals sound significantly more compelling. It is easier to keep motivated and on track when we have vivid outcomes in mind. So the next time you have a to-do of reviewing a deed of trust or a routine set of responses to interrogatories (yawn), consider the purpose of your review and the outcome you desire. Ask yourself a few questions: What’s important about this task? What will I be able to do or enjoy when I finish this? What negative consequence can I avoid if I complete this promptly? If you can’t think of a compelling outcome, maybe you need to dig a little deeper and broader about the whole question of whose goal this is.

Second, let’s look what distracts you. Does your distraction primarily result from interruptions by other people? If so, the solution may lie in establishing better boundaries or developing more effective delegation habits. For tips on improving your delegation habits, see my article on delegation published in this column on November 1, 2004. If the problem results from weak boundaries, review last month’s suggestions on creating blocks of uninterrupted time. Also consider whether people are interrupting you because you haven’t given them enough authority or access to resources. Are you a control freak or information hoarder?

If instead, the distractions come from other tasks at hand, you might try creating that clean desktop mentioned above, so your eyes don’t get attracted to anything else before you finish. Close your door or wear headphones with soft music to screen out disruptive noises. Keep reminding yourself of the day’s priorities that you set after reading last month’s article about getting things done. Give yourself the instruction that you won’t attend to even the tiniest matter until you complete this more important one.

Third, analyze what kind of tasks you get distracted from completing. What patterns do you see? For starters, ask yourself: Am I the best person to be doing this task? Does it require a person with my experience, expertise, or particular knowledge of the facts to get the job done? If not, perhaps the task should be delegated. Or is the flip side true that I don’t really have the ideal qualifications for doing this task? Is that why I procrastinate on it or am easily distracted from it? Can I delegate the task to someone who does? Do I tend to postpone the same things again and again? What do I always get done promptly? If I have more things to do than I can handle, farming out all or part of this project may be just what unblocks the flow and gets me going to accomplish those 100 other projects that I am uniquely suited for.

Are you a good starter, with lots of fruitful ideas, who loses interest midway through the project? Or are you someone who gets a lot of satisfaction from wrapping things up in an orderly and complete package, but have trouble generating ideas about how to get started? Your solution may lie in finding a complementary teammate with whom to work. When you can focus primarily on doing what you do best, it is much easier to keep on target.

Finally, sometimes the solution is just to make your tasks more fun. Ironically, I had a hard time getting this article completed. I got distracted, interrupted and lost energy for the project. As a person who often suffers from distractions myself, who am I to tell you how to overcome them? Today I wished I could just relax at Starbucks sipping a latte instead. So I grabbed a notepad and my half-written article, and escaped from the office. I vowed to write at Starbucks until I completed the project. I got away from the distractions of the phone, email, and the other projects on my desk, and I felt rewarded for my dedication to getting this done. Et voilà! Here it is. Maybe I am the perfect person to write about overcoming distractions. I know the temptations personally.